Rise of the Foot
by preciouslilpitches
Summary: When a friend shows up unannounced, broken and bloody, the turtles learn that an old adversary has shown their face once again.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

April O'Neil could smell smoke. And not the typical New York cigarette smell, either. There was a stench to it. A scream echoed through the street and she made her way to the window of her living room, pulling the curtain back slowly to get a better look. She glanced down, to the sidewalk, her eyes pulled to something bright. A symbol. An unsettling feeling turned her blood to ice as she realized what it was. _It can't be. We shut them down ages ago._ April shoved her arms through her jacket, despite being in her pajamas, grabbed her keys and first aid kit, and made her way down to the street. Quickly, she was able to find a job, getting the wounded citizens into her antique shop and tending to their injuries. She made do with what she had, but most of them would need a hospital, and _soon_. She was splinting an old woman's leg when the building across from her lit up in a yellow flash, and emitted the loudest _boom_ she'd ever heard. The glass walls of her shop shattered, and she covered her eyes, her ears ringing. More screaming commenced and she ran outside. Even more citizens had been hurt. She watched as a man not much older than her, clutched his wife in his arms, as her head lolled back and her wound was exposed. April sprinted to him, skidding to a halt on her knees in front of them. Her brand new pajamas would be ruined, but she didn't have time for that now. The man's green eyes bore into her face as she tried to find a vital sign. She remembered Donnie's voice in her ear, when he taught her on a bored Michelangelo. _Remember_ , he said. _Every sixty seconds. If you're in a hurry, you can check every fifteen and multiply it by 4. But the easiest way is to check the corotid, on the neck._ She put two fingers against the woman's neck, but there was nothing. Frantic, she checked the wrist. And again, nothing. She did not want to give up, but the man jerked with a sob, moving his wife's head. Near the temple, a chunk of her skin had been torn from her head. April could see the bone cracked and her brain swelling behind it. She choked down bile as she shook her head to the man. He broke down again, shoving his face in the crook of her neck.

"Sir… You have to come with me. You're not safe here." His eyes darted to hers.

"B-but my wife-"

"You can- you can bring her too. But we have to go. There's room for you in my antique shop, just over there. I'll help you carry her." He nodded and April took the woman's cold ankles in her hands. The man held her up by her under arms and they were able to settle in a corner of the shop. Thankfully, away from the children. None of them noticed. They were too busy wailing in fear or pain, some had already fallen asleep. A few more people from the housing above came down to help, while they waited for the ambulances. She decided it would be the time to look for more injured. Her phone felt like lead in her pocket, as she itched to call them. Surely they would know of this display of violence. Surely they'd been keeping track. That was their job, was it not? Her gut twisted at the thought of her best friends getting caught up in the explosions. She pictured them, battered and bruised, defending each other and the city, on an old rooftop. The building caving from beneath their feet, and- _No. Stop. Don't think about that. They can take care of themselves. Find out who did this, and get them some information._ She made her way to the van, sure to check her surroundings. And, plain as the red hair on her head, there was the symbol she identified from her apartment window. Anxiety ripped through her as she ran a hand down the side of the metal. _Did they know?_ The hairs stood up on her neck as she realized she wasn't alone. She could feel someone's breath down her spine. Just in time, she spun around to see a dark figure launching a fist into her stomach. She lurched back, falling with an _oof_ , and the figure stood over her. She tried not to focus on the pain. There would definitely be bruising. Possibly internal. She heard the _click_ of the safety and felt a foot on her chest, pinning her against the asphalt. She squeezed her eyes shut, but instead of a gunshot, she heard a swift _woosh_ in the air. The figure hit the van with an "Anngh!" then slid to the concrete, limp. Her eyes widened as she glanced up at her savior. The glint of a white hockey stick filled her vision and she heard a voice she thought she never would again.

"Hey, toots."

" _Casey_?!"

Leonardo woke up in a cold sweat, yet again. He bolted upright from his bed, the old mattress helping spring him awake. It was at least two hours before he intended to wake, but he couldn't possibly go back to sleep now. This was the third night in a row he'd woken up in this position. He couldn't figure out for the life of him what was bothering him so much over the last few days. He attempted meditation, extra training, heck, he tried _coffee_ to get a better concentration (though he found it revolting) but it was all for naught. Until now. He rubbed a hand over his damp face and shivered. Grabbing the mask from his bedside table, he rocked onto his three-toed feet and stood. The image flashed again in his mind. A symbol.

 _The Foot_ , his conscience reminded him. He sighed heavily, carefully prying open his door, as to not wake any of his family. He tiptoed to the edge of the railing by his room, and glanced down at the makeshift living room. A single television (out of many) blared and he could hear Mikey snoring from the couch. He smiled slightly, but the dream still bothered him. He shouldn't be having this nightmare. They terminated The Foot years ago, along with The Shredder. His shell still ached where Karai had stabbed one of his own katana through his shoulder, into the sensitive tissue of his back. Donnie informed him that the lack of nerve damage from the attack was astounding, but he grimaced at the ugly, ragged scar in the mirror every morning. He could still remember the coppery smell of his own blood, seeping between his fingers as he stumbled to tend to the rest of his family. The same Donatello who gaped at Leonardo's fast recovery, had an arm snapped in the wrong direction, and internal bruising. Raphael lay on the ground, all but one of his ribs cracked. Michelangelo with two broken legs and a concussion. Master Splinter unconscious from the shock torture Oroku Saki put him through. The smell of singed fur burned his nose to this day. His nostrils flared at the thought of her. _No need to dwell_ , he thought angrily. _She chose her side_. He rolled his shoulder, feeling an ache in it again. This time it radiated to his neck and head and he used his other arm to vault his strong body over the railing, onto the steps. He padded down them almost silently, opening the sliding doors to the dojo. In the corner, sat a mat and a few candles, and he started towards them.

"Back again, my son?" an all-too-familiar voice asked, echoing from the area he was moving toward. He let his footing falter slightly, startled by the appearance of his father. He stopped in his tracks, bowing as one by one, the candles were lit.

"Yes, sensei. I… I had another… Dream."

"You have been woken up by it once again?" The wise, old voice asked. Leonardo watched the oversized rat set up the mat on the floor, circling it with the candles. The room around them lit up intimately, casting wavering shadows on the training equipment and Master Splinter's fur.

"Yes, but this time, I remembered what was upsetting me. A-an image. A symbol. One I thought was long gone... "

Splinter raised an eyebrow, wishing his son would not be so cryptic. He could only help Leonardo if he knew exactly what his problem was.

"The Foot, father. It was the symbol of The Foot." This caught his attention, and he sat, inviting Leonardo to join him on the mat. He kneeled, searching his father's eyes for any recognition or answers.

"You say you saw the symbol in your dream. Was there something else? Something particular that coerced this behavior?" He gestured to his son's shaking and clammy hands. Leonardo laid them flat against his thighs, embarrassed at the sign of weakness.

"That's the thing. I cannot bring myself to remember the entire dream. I've tried, multiple times. I've tried everything. _Anything_." Leo shook his head, hating to admit he'd failed. Especially at something so simple.

"Hmm," the rat hummed, stroking his beard with one hand. "This is very experimental and I have only done it a few times. But I feel you are ready." The turtle cocked his head to the side and blinked.

"What is it, Master?"

"We will travel into the spirit world through meditation. There, I will search your mind to find the contents of the dream that have been blocked from your memory. It may take hours, and will be very difficult. However, I have faith in you, my son." Leonardo nodded and adjusted his weight to hold his body for a long period of time.

"Thank you," he whispers and smiles.

"Let us begin."

 _God, she's still beautiful as ever_ , Casey thought as he helped a stunned April off of the asphalt. Immediately, she wrapped him in an embrace. A feeling that he missed, but was familiar with nonetheless. He smiled and kissed her hair. She pulled away, looking up into his eyes, her face hard to read. Suddenly, her arm cranked back, and he felt a sting in his cheek that drew tears in his eyes. He used a hand to cradle his now swelling face and gaped at her. Both arms started to swing at him, beating against his head and chest.

"Hey, hey, hey! April!"

"What the hell is the _matter with you_?!" she spat. "Just showing up like this?! Do you have any idea how-"

"Listen, I-I wanted to call-"

"Oh, don't feed me that bull _shit_. I'm not one of your little girlfriends you can't just-" April was cut off by the sight of Casey Jones being flung into the van, denting the metal directly in the middle of the crest. " _Casey_!" As if on cue, he looked up at her from the ground, and his eyes went wide with fear. He stumbled up, but it was too late. A Foot Ninja had his buff arm enclosed around her neck and pressed a jagged knife to her throat. The Ninja could see the veins in her neck straining as she struggled against his grip. He only pulled tighter.

"No! Let her go!" The dark-haired, ex-vigilante advanced toward the man, but was tugged back out of thin air, as two more of the Foot pulled his arms taut behind his back. One of them kicked the back of his leg, sending him to the ground once more. A katana was pressed against his back, between his shoulder blades and he gasped as it threatened to pierce his skin. He could see April turning purple and her legs were giving out. In a panic, he grabbed each of the wrists that held his and flipped them over his head, into the same van he had been tossed against. He turned around to find the ninja with the katana running straight for him. In one swift movement, he knocked the sword from the man's hand and sucker punched him in the gut. He fell to the asphalt and Casey kicked him square in the temple, for good measure. He turned again to see the man gently run the blade across her skin, drawing blood.

"You move, she dies." Casey threw his hands up in surrender. The ninja started to move, toward the back of the van. "Now… Tell me where the Turtles are."

"Wha- _what_?!" Casey asked, as he always did when someone mentioned them. Usually, the best way to avoid that topic was to play dumb. This time, he wasn't so sure. Tears streaked down April's dirty face as she gasped for air and shook her head vigorously. The man pressed even harder into her neck and she cried out.

"Your little green friends… _Where are they_?"

"I… I don't know…"

" _Liar_!" This time, the ninja dropped the blade, using his free hand to pull his bicep tighter over April's airway. She gasped loudly, clawing at his arms, shoving her fingers between his strong arm and her neck. "This is your last chance. Where are the _turtles_?" Casey stared at the love of his life and his shoulders drooped. They locked eyes and he gave her a look. One that said _I'm sorry_.

"Don't!" she croaked, and the ninja flexed his arm into her windpipe. She sputtered and choked and went limp in his arms. Casey could hear the grin on the man's face.

"Have it your way, then," he said, backing up slowly and dragging April with him. The doors of the van flung open and she was tossed in before Casey could even take a full breath.

"NO!" he shouted. The van kicked on. He found his bag of weapons and pulled out his handgun. He only used it for special occasions. The vehicle began speeding down the road and he aimed at the tires. At the lock, _anything_. But there was no use.

A crowd of The Foot emerged from the shadows, surrounding him.

"Bring it on, losers!" he screeched. And like a panther against an antelope, they descended upon him.

Leonardo always found the spirit world interesting and wished to explore any part of it he could. It was calming to be able to wander through a realm in which everything was on _his_ terms. At least, for awhile. The place was unpredictable, like most aspects of his life, but not nearly as often. It interested him more than any part of his training. Even his katana could not compare. He seemed to think of a new question every morning, over tea. He even sensed a bit of irritation from Splinter sometimes, when he was too persistent. However, this time, as he walked through his own fog, he had to let his Master invade his mind. A figure emerged in his vision, and remembering the instructions he was given, he let go. Full control was now under Splinter. He felt a shift in himself, as if he were shoved into a closet and locked in.

Splinter wandered through the haze of Leonardo's mind, which (after what seemed like hours) revealed an image of The Foot's crest. He had found the sliver of the dream. How he could access the rest of it, he was unsure. But he had to press on. He got closer and closer, and as he approached the crest, a wall went up. At first, he grimaced and worried the barrier would be too strong, but he slowly realized what he had to do. The spirit world was a strange place, but also a creative one. With full control over Leonardo's mind, he could will things to happen that his son could not. The rat stepped up to the wall and concentrated hard. His paw pressed against the barrier, and with some effort, the wall shattered into a million pieces.

Instantly, he was overwhelmed with the smell of smoke, hearing screaming and gunshots. Whatever this dream was, he was standing in the middle of it all. To his left, a man held his dead wife, crying. To his right, a building burst into flames. Panic set in as he read the street signs. 97th and- _oh, no_. He spun around to read the writing on the building behind him. _O'Neil's Antiques: Second Time Around_. Just then, the store itself collapsed after a flash of white light and a loud _boom_.

"NO!" he yelled, and was brought sharply back into the reality of the dojo. The two suffered from headaches, and Splinter massaged his temples with a thumb and two fingers.

"Sensei… I… I saw everything. What does that _mean_?" Leonardo rocked back on his heels, willing himself up, to help Splinter to the kitchen, where he would make some tea. As they slowly made their way, the rat sighed.

"It could mean a number of things, my son. Perhaps you are just worried for Miss O'Neil. We have not spoken to her in weeks. But…"

"But, what?" the turtle in blue asked, putting the kettle on the stove Donnie built.

"Something about that dream… It was all too _real_. It may be your mind telling you of what's to come." Leonardo sat beside him, confused.

"Master Splinter, we eliminated The Foot Clan _two years_ ago. How could they possibly-"

"What about The Foot?" asked a voice. The rat and the turtle in blue glanced up to see Raphael enter the kitchen. The turtle in red stretched and yawned, making his way to the fridge. He was stockier than his brothers. Where he lacked in stealth, he made up for in sheer, brute strength. He poured himself a glass of orange juice and sat across the table.

"It's nothing, Raph-"

"It is not _nothing_ , my son," the rat said, turning his attention to a curious and impatient Raphael. "Your brother has had a dream- about The Foot." Raphael blinked and sighed, shaking his head. A part of Leonardo wanted to keep the dream between he and Splinter. If this could possibly be a dream projected out of fear, he did not want to express his weakness to his brothers. He was their leader and guardian. And, their teasing could be hard to handle. As Leonardo remembered all the times his brothers made fun of him for liking Karai (although he wouldn't put it that way, necessarily), Donatello stalked in, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He began talking as he started up the coffee pot to the left of the fridge.

"Leo's dream could mean anything, Sensei. No one really knows what their purpose is or if they even correlate with real life situations. The possibilities are endless. It could be a repression of a memory, or even just-"

"It was very real, Donatello. I experienced it myself." The turtle in purple stopped the mug at his parted lips, staring wide-eyed at his father.

"You… You, _what_?"

"It was a meditation tactic I learned a long time ago, when you were nothing but babies. I was able to experience the parts of the dream your brother's mind would not allow him to remember."

"So, what exactly happened?" asked Donatello, now seated beside them. He scratched his chin curiously.

"It was… Outside April's shop. The Foot were just wreaking havoc, blowing up buildings and they didn't even care about being seen." Leonardo pondered the dream he finally saw, thinking about how unlikely it was. Still, a part of him wondered about The Foot's activity. Donnie had been keeping tabs on them, tracking any known members. After too many sleepless nights, watching and hovering, they finally decided that they were officially gone. They still checked in every day, but there was no sign of them. For over a year.

"Hmm… If it makes you feel better, I can check my scanners. But, I haven't seen anything in months."

"Is there any way they could get around it? Somehow figure out you've been tracing them?" Michelangelo asks, yawning and flinging open the refrigerator door. None of them had even heard him come in.

"Maybe… But I put incryptions on the scanners that even Doctor Stockman would have a hard time figuring out. I covered our tracks well enough that they shouldn't be able to know about them at all." Donnie got up, pouring himself another coffee. He already had a headache. Perhaps it was due to the fact he got only three hours of sleep. He had discovered an article on household appliances turned into thermonuclear weapons. Some Professor at Harvard wrote it. And, despite the article being completely wrong, he busied himself with it anyway, not wanting Master Splinter to know of his recent insomnia. It started as the usual epiphany, and he went to work on a new project. But as the nights went by, he just couldn't get any sleep. Something was bothering him. So, he tried doing some work, hoping Splinter wouldn't worry.

"If it makes you feel at ease, I can check the scanners again. I'll check police reports and the news." Leo nodded, as well as Splinter, and Donnie started to walk away. As he stalked sleepily to his lab, the unmistakable sound of stone on stone echoed through the lair. All of them lept from their positions, towards the door. There, a figure stood. The family froze as it stumbled in.

"Casey!" Mikey said, smiling and walking over. He hadn't showed up since… Well, in ages. The battered man glanced up, with one eye swollen shut. " _Casey_?" Just then, he collapsed into the turtle's arms. The rest of them ran to his aid. Donnie supported him under one arm and Mikey under another. Slowly, they made their way to Donnie's lab, where they laid him across the cot they'd used as a makeshift gourney. Casey groaned as he turned to his side and spewed vomit all over Mikey's feet. The turtle jumped back in disgust, and Raph gaped at his friend.

"Casey, what _happened_ to you?" Don asked, inspecting his pupils and the wounds on his face. Raph grabbed his arm encouragingly, as he attempted to speak.

"The… The Foot…" he whispered, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. He went limp and Leonardo tapped his face. "Casey… Stay with us, buddy." His eyes shot open and he dug his nails into Donnie's arm. His attention shifted to his sick and broken friend. "They… Took her… _April_."

His grip loosened then, and he lost consciousness.

April could hear faint whispers. In a different language. She tried to move, but winced. It hurt to breathe. Her eyes seemed to be open, but wherever she was, it was dark. She was hanging from her wrists, she knew that much. They stung when she tried to move, and she could feel warm blood trickle down her left arm. Her ribs ached as she clutched the cold chains above her, relieving the pain from her arms. That would be the only way to make sure a shoulder didn't get dislocated. _Broken. Definitely broken_ , she thought. Suddenly, she heard a door creak, and flourescent light flooded the room. She squinted and squirmed away from it as an unmistakable figure entered the room.

"Ah, Miss O'Neil… Nice of you to drop in."

" _Karai_ ," she spat. The effort of speaking made her cough, and the ninja laughed. April thought she saw the glint of a knife in the light.

"Such _disgust_ in your tone, April. I would have thought you'd be more polite." Karai raised an eyebrow, an evil grin spreading across her face. April noticed a ragged scar that ran across her face, from her forehead to her chin.

"What do you want? Why did you bring me here?"

"I thought we could have a little fun… Unless, of course, you can give me the information I need."

"Never." Once again, Karai laughed, taking something from a henchman to her right. She paced the room, wrapping her knuckles, and April gulped. Suddenly, the ninja was inches from her face, reeling her arm back. With an incredible force, Karai's fist pounded into April's gut, and she lurched forward, a tuft of red hair falling into her face.

"You will find that I can be quite persuasive…" She huffed a stray hair out of her face. "Now, where are they?"

"I don't know."

This time, a fist slammed against her face, and she heard the _crunch_ of her cheekbone under Karai's hand. She called out then, coiling away, but she knew it was no use.

"WHERE ARE THE TURTLES?!"

"I'm not saying _anything_ , you bitch!" she shouted and spit in Karai's face. The ninja flinched and wiped it angrily from her face. A stinging pain hit her other cheek, forcing her head to the side, to see her own blood drying on her arm. And that was the last thing April saw before losing consciousness once again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Three:

" _Damnitt_!" Donnie shouted, tossing the device to the floor. The brothers sighed at the disturbing realization that April was, in fact, in danger. Raphael kicked a box over. Mikey flinched, following Donnie and hoping Leo was coming up with a plan.

"What do we do?" he asks, breaking the silence.

"We go and find her, that's what we do," Raph said, cracking his knuckles.

"We can't just barge into Foot headquarters, Raph. Besides, how do we know this isn't a trap?" Donatello whirled around then, shooting daggers at Leonardo.

"That's _her phone_ , Leo! Did you read the message?! And Casey said-"

"I'm trying to help here. We need to figure out a strategy. We can't just-"

"You know, I'm starting to think you don't even want to rescue her. What is it with you, Leo?! Do you _want_ her to die-"

"Of course I don't want her to-"

"- or you just don't want to face your _precious Karai_?!" Mikey sucked in a breath at Donnie's statement, backing away slowly, toward Raph. Though they all knew she was behind it, someone saying it aloud made an awkward fog settle over the room. The turtle in red found himself smirking at his brother's loss of temper. He kinda liked seeing his gentle brother with a little spunk. Don immediately regretted even mentioning her name, but he was in too deep. He needed to find April. And standing there, waiting to decide what to do was wasting valuable time. Was wasting April's life. Leo kept his arms at his sides, clenching his fists, but spoke in a low, even tone.

"Be mad at me all you want, Don, but if we get caught, rescuing April will have been for nothing anyway."

"You're right," he sighed. He rubbed his temples with a thumb and finger. "I'm sorry… I'll run schematics on the building, see where we can get in. I can ping any devices in there right now and track it from here." The brothers stood around, waiting for him to put coordinates in, when suddenly, the alarm began to go off. They covered their ears at the piercing sound, trying to find the source. With no luck, they met in the middle again, as Donnie typed at lightning speed.

"C'mon, Donnie… We haven't got much time before-" Leonardo was interrupted by a police siren outside, the skylight no lighting up with red and blue.

"Shit, we gotta go!" Raph shouted.

"The skylight! There's a way out up there. No one will see us!" The four made their way up, careful not to knock anything else out of place. They escaped just in time, watching as the officers burst in the door. Don began running and they followed again. Going towards TCRI (or what's left of it) made them all uneasy. The Utroms hadn't come back since their escape from Shredder, and though they knew they were safe (due to the fact that they were the ones who saved the family from an explosive death in space), it was odd to be back there. And since it toppled to the ground, no one had rebuilt anything there. It had been years. To top that all off, the mutagen that made them what they are came from that place. Was perfected in that place. It was an eerie feeling for all of them as they neared it. Naturally, when they got close enough to Foot Headquarters, there was security manning every entrance, every window, every inch of the building.

"There's no way we're getting through there," Leo whispered from behind an AC vent. "Not with this gear. We'd need a distraction."

"Well, why don't we call Cas-" Mikey cut himself off, his guts turning to ice as he remembered their sick friend in the lair, with their father. "Oh. Sorry."

"I-I mean, I could… I could somehow wire this AC unit to fire up. I don't have much in my bag…" He desperately searched, trying to find anything, looking worried.

"Don… I'm starting to think this isn't the greatest idea-"

"I've got it! Yes! I finally found it!" He pulled out a lighter and crawled to the edge of the unit, opening it.

"This better work. And fast. It'll be sunrise soon, and then we'll be royally screwed," Mikey said, pointing a finger East at the lightening sky. Don worked furiously at the machine, when a spark finally took and it began to smoke.

"If my calculations are correct, this should shoot right over onto that roof. If we can make it to the roof on the right, we can sneak around the back and get through that door while they're drawn to it." Leo shrugged. It seemed like a sound plan.

"Okay, Don, you lead the way. Raph, Mikey, you flank me while I watch his back." They all nodded and started toward the other building. It took nothing and no time to get there, but waiting for the unit to blow was making them antsy. All the while, dawn creeped closer and closer. After what seemed like hours, it exploded, landing exactly where he predicted and a litter of Foot gathered around it, trying to put it out. They were on the roof and headed in when Don came face-to-face with one, who was just as surprised to see him as he was, it. They stood staring for a millisecond before Donnie kicked him backwards, down the stairs. The man groaned, drawing attention from the others. Raphael and Michelangelo worked together and took the men down easily as they fought down two flights of stairs. When they all seemed to be unconscious or running for their Mommies, they found a door to sneak into. It led to a small, dimly lit hall, with only two other rooms. Upon hearing footsteps, Leo only left a sliver of the door open to see who was coming. He began thinking of ways he could take them down, without drawing much attention and evading the cameras. The sound got closer and louder, and he waited for the figure to appear.

Heels.

He was hearing the click of heels.

Before he could properly process what was happening, there she was.

Her eyes dark and concentrated, a soldier at her side, leading her to a door that revealed, upon opening, a control room with many monitors and lights. He gasped as her scar glinted in the flourescent light, and she paused in the doorway. He covered his mouth and waited until the door clicked shut.

"Control room. Ten o' clock. K-" he paused. " _Karai_ , just went in." They snuck into the hallway, when they heard screaming in Japanese. Her voice cut off raggedly as they stood frozen, waiting for Don to tell them where to go. Just as he pointed, the door swung open. They spun around to see her, eyes wide with anger. She unsheathed her weapon, growling, and lunged.

"Cover your ears, guys!" Don shouted and they glanced around to see him toss a home-made flashbang into the air. They knew what that meant, making their way around the corner much quicker than their adversaries, and it went off with a boom that still made their ears ring. Leo glanced back to see her fall to her knees, gripping her head so tight, he thought her ears may bleed. She screeched again, locking eyes with him. Don frantically pointed to a vent, which was surprisingly large enough to fit them. They made their way up and out, seeing no sign of The Foot anywhere on the roof. Well, _conscious_ Foot, anyway. Don typed on his tracking device again, and Leo sighed. The sun was beginning to come up. The morning glow was already settling over New York.

"Don, we have to go. Now!"

"But-"

"Now!" he shouted, and they made their way back down to the street, slipping under the familiar comfort of a manhole cover. They ran and ran through the tunnels, knowing the way to the lair backwards and forwards. From anywhere in the vastness of the city, they could find their way. Even in unfamiliar territory. None of them spoke, though Donnie would have _a lot_ to say when they got back. When they did, Splinter greeted them at the door.

"My sons. I am glad to see you home safe."

"How is he?" Raph asked, immediately. Their father scowled.

"I'm afraid his condition has not changed." The turtles walked to Don's lab, where their friend lay, still unconscious. The others left, giving Don some space. Before they left, he had set up an IV drip and oxygen mask for him, hoping to keep his vitals up. He was happy to see it working. Just as he grabbed Casey's wrist to check his pulse, his eyes burst open.

"Casey?" His wild eyes met Donatello's.

"Don," he croaked. "Wh-"

"Listen, Jones, I'm gonna need you to relax. Everything is alright. Take deep breaths."

"Foot… Losers…"

"I said take it easy. How many fingers am I holding up?" he said, bringing his hand into Casey's line of sight.

"Three," he smirked slightly, before coughing. It hurt his whole body and he winced. The oxygen mask pulled at his swollen face. "My… Face…"

"Don't touch it! It's infected with poison. I'm going to see if I can extract more of it…" He came at Casey with a syringe, then. He flinched away instinctively, but wished he hadn't, as a painful stab in his thigh caused him to lose his breath. "Hold still." Don peeled the bandage on is cheek back. The needle pierced Jones's skin, and with a steady hand, Donatello began to draw some of it out. Just when he was about to pull away, Casey's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he began shaking uncontrollably, spit foaming at the front of his mouth.

"CASEY!" He threw the needle onto a tray nearby, and gently turned him to one side. Raphael appeared in the door. "Raph! Keep him on his side. I need to look at this." His brother stood in shock for a moment before rushing to his friend's side. Donatello gasped under his microscope.

"I need to get that out of his system. Now." When he turned around, he was surprised to see he had stopped seizing, and worried Raph may throw up. He looked pale and sweaty.

"And how do you suppose you're going to do that?" he asked, swallowing hard.

"Like this." Don grabbed a clean needle and stuck it beneath the surface of the skin. He pulled and emptied and re-sterilized until he could see some of the lines disappearing on his chest. His mind raced with possibilities when suddenly, he got an idea. His brother was exiting when he called him back.

"I'm gonna need your help. Hold him down." He sighed, but did as Don asked. He felt around the wound on Casey's cheek, confirming his theory. He quickly grabbed a sterilized scalpel. Carefully, he cut around the side of the wound. His friend cried out, even in his unconscious stupor and Raph held him as Don slowly pushed the mass out from beneath his skin.

" _Jesus_ , Don!"

He concentrated hard and got it into a plastic container. From the looks of it, it was a microbot that had crawled beneath the surface of the skin. He assumed it was the work of Baxter Stockman, but wouldn't be sure until he could study it. He'd need to be fast, because they likely put trackers in them, which could lead The Foot right to their lair. He cleaned and stitched the wound, seeing his color get better by the minute.

He was going to be alright… At least he _hoped_ …

"You _LIAR_!" Karai screeched, landing yet another blow to April's face. This time, the chair she was strapped to fell, and her entire right side made contact with the floor. Her face felt slippery against the concrete as she noted she was very badly bleeding. Karai picked her up, setting the chair upright. " _WHERE ARE THEY_?!" April let out a whimper.

"I. Don't. Know." Blood dribbled down her chin and to her neck when she saw a knife glint in the light. Though someone observing couldn't tell, her face flushed. Would they really not let her just wipe her mouth? April's thoughts delayed as her body was racked with pain. Before she could prepare herself properly, the knife pierced her side, exactly where it had before.

"ANGH!" she cried, her head falling limp. She wished she would pass out. Tears streamed down her face. Karai twisted it, earning another cry from April, then yanked it out.

"How do you explain _this_ , then?!" Karai snapped, and through her good eye, April saw their figures on a tablet screen, defeating Foot soldiers with ease in a stairwell. Her gut twisted at the sight of them. She wanted them to be there so badly. She thought of Donnie and turned away from the light.

"I didn't know…"

"You didn't know _what_?" Karai spat. Literally, spat on April's face.

"That they were… Back… I-" a stinging slap across her face interrupted her statement. Karai put her hand on the back of the chair, leaning in close.

"Tell me."

Her eyes bore ferociously into April's as she waited. She couldn't bring herself to talk as a sickening thought crossed her mind. _You're going to die here._ Her mind reeled as she pictured her family; her sister, Uncle Auggie… Being called to New York to identify her body… Her only friends creeping in the background of her funeral, unable to be seen. She wondered if Casey would even show, when the same knife was shoved into the meat of her thigh. She screamed, feeling her consciousness start to slip away. She quickly assessed her injury, thanking whatever's up there that it had not hit any large arteries. Still, it soaked her jeans pretty fast and she gulped.

" _Where are the turtles, Miss O' Neil?_ " She sobbed, spitting blood onto the ground in front of her, where Karai stood. The _kunoichi_ growled furiously, and April wondered if that moment would be the one that took her life away. Her stomach dropped as she realized she craved it. It scared her more than anything, but she hoped anyway. It would stop the pain, would keep her friends out of the dangerous shadow of The Foot. It would save her from Karai's foul hatred that permeated every pore of the concrete room. That radiated off of her like heat waves. She vaguely remembered feeling an intense pain in her side and a crunching sound before her body went limp in the metal chair.

"I can't believe it," Don muttered to himself, hovering over the magnifying glass. Beneath it, he inspected the innards of the microbot. "They weaponized it. Perfected it."

"What's this about weapons?" a gruff voice asked. Donatello turned to see Raphael slinking in. He stole a glance at Casey, still sound asleep. Raph did, too, sighing as he walked over to the desk.

"The mutagen- er, poison. They somehow made it so that the technology in this bot disperses the perfect amount of poison to make you sick, but not kill you. At least, that's what it seems like. Casey has gotten exponentially better since I took that thing out. I still need him in here and sedated to monitor him. He should be waking up soon…" Raph looked over at Don and for the first time in awhile he saw understanding cross his features.

"I just, uh… Wanted to check on you guys…" The turtle in red glanced at the floor, wishing he hadn't sounded so wimpy.

"Uh, thanks. Yeah, he's doing well. Better than I expected. We almost lost him there… He'll be waking up soon."

"Maybe I'll stop in… After _dinner_ , which you should eat."

Donatello sighed.

"Okay… What's-"

"R-Raph?" Casey groaned, his head flopping to one side, eyes hooded. Donatello jumped out of his chair.

"Hey, Jones," he said, trying to act tough again. Don shook his head. He knew his brother was concerned for their friend, but he wouldn't tell a soul if his life depended on it. _Man, that guy can hold a grudge._

"I'm sorry," Casey whispered. Raph glowered at him, holding his gaze.

"Yeah, well, you shoulda-" He got cut off when Casey's eyes suddenly rolled back into his head and he started seizing again. This time, though Don still saw fear in his eyes, he knew what to do. Holding him on his side, Casey thrashed beneath his hands and Donatello scrambled to figure out why.

"B-but he was getting so much better!" he cried, helping Raph keep him on the cot. Soon, it was over, and he was coming to. He looked around anxiously, eyes darting between the turtles.

"Casey. Hey, everything's alright. You had another seizure. Do you know where you are?" Raph asked. His eyes widened and he gave the room a once over. Don put his hand on Casey's arm, but he flinched away. "Jones… Do you know where you _are_?"

"Who the fuck _are_ you _freaks_?!" he yelled, attempting to scramble away. His injuries stopped him.

"Casey, relax, it's just us. Remember? Donatello and Raph-"

" _KEEP AWAY FROM ME_!" he shouted. " _HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!_ " They heard muffled noises as the rest of their family ran into the room to see what was going on. Casey crawled to the back of the cot, bringing his knees up to his chest, wincing. He scanned the crowd worriedly, mumbling to himself. "This is a dream. You're dreaming. They're not there. You're at home. Calm down. Just… Wake up." He squeezed his eyes shut again and opened them, only to see the giant talking animals were still there. _Are those_ weapons _?! This_ has _to be a dream!_ He jumped up then, but his knees buckled beneath him and a wave of nausea practically made him vomit right there. He felt their cold hands on his arms and he struggled against their grips, but they were like iron. Before he knew it, he was being pinned to the bed, and the last thing he felt was a needle stick his flesh before passing out.

"Donnie, what's going on?! Why doesn't he-"

"I don't know… I think… I think it may be a side effect of the poison. Or maybe the mix of drugs I was giving him… Or both… He must still have it in his system…" Don started setting up what he needed to run some tests, mumbling to himself. The turtles knew that when he got this way, he was not to be messed with. All but Raphael began making their way to the kitchen, where dinner was getting cold.

"You comin', Raphie?" Michelangelo asked.

"Nah, I'm gonna help Donnie. Go ahead."

Leo glanced back, giving him an encouraging smile. When he turned back to his genius brother, he let out a sigh. He needed a break. He needed to eat. The coffee machine on his desk made a low, guttural sound and sputtered to life, filling the pot. Donatello murmured to himself again, taking a syringe and drawing Casey's blood. Raph sat in a chair, staring at his friend. He winced at the thought of his face when he woke up. Not even the first time they met, did he give them that look. _The_ look. It was the same every time. The mixture of confusion and legitimate fear. Not just surprise, but _fear_. Raphael could recall countless times he had saved someone's life, and they still screamed and ran. But never did he expect it from his friend. From family…

"You can go eat, Raph… I don't need any help." Don's voice snapped him out of his stupor.

"If anyone's eatin', it's you. I'll watch him. You can take a break for a few minutes and go eat somethin'. I didn't see you at breakfast _or_ lunch. And that stuff'll give you the shits." He smiled, and Donnie rolled his eyes. _So much for tryin' to lighten the mood_ , he thought.

"C'mon, Raph, you know… Nevermind. I'll eat when I'm done with these tests. You can go, alright?"

"I ain't leavin'. What if he wakes up again? Besides, I know it can get lonely in here. Especially without-"

"I'm fine, Raph!" Don snapped. Raphael blinked in surprise, and leaned back in his chair.

The room fell silent for awhile.

"I'm sorry, Raph… I didn't mean to snap at you like that."

"I understand."

"Still… It was unnecessary." He smiled up at him from his desk.

"We'll get them back." His brother's face fell.

"I hope so…"

" _Night, Mikey!" April said, when he came into the lab to say goodnight. He yawned and waved at them in response._

" _Night, bro," Don said. The lair fell silent as they heard his door click shut and she scowled at him. "What?"_

" _We need to tell them."_

" _What?"_

" _Don't play dumb. You know what I'm talking about." She grabbed his hand with both of hers. "They have the right to know. It's been… Don, it's almost been a_ year _." He flinched. He didn't want to argue tonight. They were supposed to be working on a project together._

" _I just… I think they need more time-"_

" _You mean_ you _need more time?" He grimaced. She let go of his hand._

" _April, I-"_

" _A-are you… Ashamed? Of me?" He dropped his tool, facing her completely._

" _Never. Never in all of eternity would I be ashamed of you."_

" _Then why won't you tell them?! What is so hard about them knowing?!" She was getting louder now, and she almost didn't care. She wanted them to wake up. To hear. Donnie stared, at a loss for words. He couldn't really explain to her why he wished to keep something so important to him secret from his family, but he didn't feel it was the right time._

" _I just… I don't think they'll understand."_

" _What do you mean?" She sounded hurt, and he kicked himself internally._

" _I just… You and Casey were so serious-"_

" _This isn't about him. It's about_ us _." He looked at her and felt so much love. He wished she could just understand… Finally, he spoke._

" _Since I was seven years old, I ruled out even_ meeting _a girl. And I definitely ruled out being in a relationship with one. We all did. Because we knew that people would see us as nothing but monsters… I… Even_ you _fainted when you first saw us… And, I just didn't want… to get my hopes up."_

" _Donnie, how could you-"_

" _I can't give you things that a human partner could. It hurts me to see you give up those opportunities just for me!" She blinked._

" _Donnie, is… Is that what you're worried about? That I'll leave you for a human?"_

" _Saying it out loud, I recognize the stupidity of that statement, but-"_

" _Yeah, you're right. That_ is _stupid. Why would you think that?! Don't you know me at_ all _?!" She got up from her chair, pacing._

" _April-"_

" _No, Don! I can't believe… Almost a year, and you don't trust me?!"_

" _That's not what I said-"_

" _That's_ exactly _what you said!" she was shouting now, and he glanced around her, to the door, where he thought he saw a light turn on. He didn't know what to say. What could he? She was right, he was being stupid… But was it wrong of him to be prepared? He couldn't go out with her. He couldn't buy her dinner. He would never be able to marry her, give her children. He couldn't even have proper_ sex _with her, and while it didn't bother him, he could tell it frustrated her. And he knew that with a human partner, she could have all of those things. All things he_ knew _she wanted. All things that Casey promised her. "I chose_ you _, Don! I could have_ anyone _, and I chose_ you _!" He now stood angrily, too._

" _Why then,_ did _you choose_ me _?!" She stared at him, tears in her eyes. "Why would you pretend to not care about the things I can't give you?! And don't tell me you didn't. I was obviously the wrong choice, but you chose me anyway. WHY?!" Her mouth opened as if she was going to say something, but snapped shut. "Was I just the easiest target? A good rebound?! I mean, you said you could have_ anyone _, right?"_

" _That's not why, and you know it."_

" _Then enlighten me, April!"_

" _I…" He could see her visibly crying now, and his stomach dropped._ Maybe I _was_ just a rebound. _He shook his head and plopped back into his chair, waiting for her to answer._

" _That's what I thought…" He spun back toward his computer, beginning to type._

" _No, Don! You don't just get to walk away-"_

" _It's better than_ this _," he snapped. She gaped at him, fresh tears running down her cheeks. In one swift motion, she grabbed her coat, purse and phone and made her way for the door. She yelped when she slid it open and found Leonardo standing there._

" _Is everything alright in here?" he asked, calmly._

" _Yep! I was just leaving. I have to work tomorrow." Don glanced over and watched her lie for him for the millionth time. Shame creeped and slid through his guts as Leo looked past her, narrowing his eyes at him. "See you later," she said over her shoulder, her voice cracking on the last word._

" _Text me when you get home safe!" Don shouted. He knew she wouldn't. And he'd end up pinging her cell anyway._

" _Would you mind telling me what's going on?" Leo asked, crossing his arms. He was using his I'm-The-Boss-So-You-Better-Start-Talking voice. Donnie sighed._

" _How much of that did you hear?"_

" _All of it."_

April woke in a stupor, pain racking her body, a fog to settling over thoughts. When she finally came to, she realized she was still strapped to the chair. One eye adjusted to the dim lighting. Two Foot soldiers stood on either side of the door. Her mouth felt dry and with every move she made, a new twinge of pain would ricochet through her. She gasped when she tried sitting up, noting her ribs were clearly broken. They hadn't thought to stitch her up this time. She looked over at her side, and stifled a gag. Though it had not broken the skin, a bone protruded. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned to them.

"Let me go," she whispered. "Please." Her lips ached when she talked, and tears stung as they rolled down her swollen cheeks. They laughed quietly at her plea. A walkie talkie crackled and she heard one talk into it.

"She's awake."

"Perfect," Karai said. She could hear her grinning through the device.

It took no time for her to waltz in the room, and April gulped.

"Ms. O'Neil… I hate this just as much as you do. So, let's make it quick. _Where are they_?" She raised an eyebrow, and folded her hands on the table. _At least I'll die doing something honorable_ , she thought. And then she thought of him. Donatello. The last time they fought. How she stormed out of the lair, angry that he was right. It all seemed so trivial now as she looked death in the face. She always thought she would be at home. Or in a hospital. Surrounded by her loved ones. She thought it would be peaceful. That she would welcome it. But it was ugly. It was cold and lonely and she was scared.

"Fine," Karai said. "We'll have it your way." She whispered something in Japanese, and the two soldiers left. When they came back, one had a bucket of water, and the other had a towel. Her stomach dropped.

"No, no, _please_ -"

"Tell me where the turtles are."

April grit her teeth. Of course she knew that she couldn't tell her. _You could_ , said a voice in the back of her head. _You could tell her and it'd all be over._

"No? Okay." Karai snapped her fingers and a man tipped her chair. Her heart thudded in her chest, and she almost laughed. At least she knew it was still working. The other placed the towel over her face and held it there. She heard the bucket hit the floor with a _thunk_. "You have one last chance." April squirmed, but they held a firm grip against her. She felt the cold water on her skin before it hit her lungs. They stung with icy pain and her body coiled from it. The cloth clung to her face with every breath she gasped for. She tried to scream, but her throat stung as more water was poured over her. It soaked her clothes, making her muscles quiver. _This is it_ , she thought. A lump rose in her throat and her chest stung as she desperately clung to memories of happiness. Of finding Uncle Auggie, visiting her sister in the hospital when she had her daughter, the first time she heard Donatello sing… Suddenly, the pressure on her chest was relieved and her lungs filled with air in a painful sting. She coughed and spit water all over her captors, and they jumped back.

"Where. Are. They."

"Please," she gasped, coughing again.

" _Tell me where they are_!"

"NO!"

Karai grinned again, snapping her fingers and repeating her earlier statement in Japanese. April felt the chair tilt back again, the wet towel shielding her eyes from the light. She heard as the bucket was lifted and she braced herself for it, but the splash never came. The chair jolted forward and her heart lept up in her throat when she saw him standing there. Her lungs stopped working again, the ache in her chest growing.

" _Father_?!" Karai gasped.

 _Thanks for following this! Love you guys!_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

" _Damnitt_!" Donnie shouted, tossing the device to the floor. The brothers sighed at the disturbing realization that April was, in fact, in danger. Raphael kicked a box over. Mikey flinched, following Donnie and hoping Leo was coming up with a plan.

"What do we do?" he asks, breaking the silence.

"We go and find her, that's what we do," Raph said, cracking his knuckles.

"We can't just barge into Foot headquarters, Raph. Besides, how do we know this isn't a trap?" Donatello whirled around then, shooting daggers at Leonardo.

"That's _her phone_ , Leo! Did you read the message?! And Casey said-"

"I'm trying to help here. We need to figure out a strategy. We can't just-"

"You know, I'm starting to think you don't even want to rescue her. What is it with you, Leo?! Do you _want_ her to die-"

"Of course I don't want her to-"

"- or you just don't want to face your _precious Karai_?!" Mikey sucked in a breath at Donnie's statement, backing away slowly, toward Raph. Though they all knew she was behind it, someone saying it aloud made an awkward fog settle over the room. The turtle in red found himself smirking at his brother's loss of temper. He kinda liked seeing his gentle brother with a little spunk. Don immediately regretted even mentioning her name, but he was in too deep. He needed to find April. And standing there, waiting to decide what to do was wasting valuable time. Was wasting April's life. Leo kept his arms at his sides, clenching his fists, but spoke in a low, even tone.

"Be mad at me all you want, Don, but if we get caught, rescuing April will have been for nothing anyway."

"You're right," he sighed. He rubbed his temples with a thumb and finger. "I'm sorry… I'll run schematics on the building, see where we can get in. I can ping any devices in there right now and track it from here." The brothers stood around, waiting for him to put coordinates in, when suddenly, the alarm began to go off. They covered their ears at the piercing sound, trying to find the source. With no luck, they met in the middle again, as Donnie typed at lightning speed.

"C'mon, Donnie… We haven't got much time before-" Leonardo was interrupted by a police siren outside, the skylight no lighting up with red and blue.

"Shit, we gotta go!" Raph shouted.

"The skylight! There's a way out up there. No one will see us!" The four made their way up, careful not to knock anything else out of place. They escaped just in time, watching as the officers burst in the door. Don began running and they followed again. Going towards TCRI (or what's left of it) made them all uneasy. The Utroms hadn't come back since their escape from Shredder, and though they knew they were safe (due to the fact that they were the ones who saved the family from an explosive death in space), it was odd to be back there. And since it toppled to the ground, no one had rebuilt anything there. It had been years. To top that all off, the mutagen that made them what they are came from that place. Was perfected in that place. It was an eerie feeling for all of them as they neared it. Naturally, when they got close enough to Foot Headquarters, there was security manning every entrance, every window, every inch of the building.

"There's no way we're getting through there," Leo whispered from behind an AC vent. "Not with this gear. We'd need a distraction."

"Well, why don't we call Cas-" Mikey cut himself off, his guts turning to ice as he remembered their sick friend in the lair, with their father. "Oh. Sorry."

"I-I mean, I could… I could somehow wire this AC unit to fire up. I don't have much in my bag…" He desperately searched, trying to find anything, looking worried.

"Don… I'm starting to think this isn't the greatest idea-"

"I've got it! Yes! I finally found it!" He pulled out a lighter and crawled to the edge of the unit, opening it.

"This better work. And fast. It'll be sunrise soon, and then we'll be royally screwed," Mikey said, pointing a finger East at the lightening sky. Don worked furiously at the machine, when a spark finally took and it began to smoke.

"If my calculations are correct, this should shoot right over onto that roof. If we can make it to the roof on the right, we can sneak around the back and get through that door while they're drawn to it." Leo shrugged. It seemed like a sound plan.

"Okay, Don, you lead the way. Raph, Mikey, you flank me while I watch his back." They all nodded and started toward the other building. It took nothing and no time to get there, but waiting for the unit to blow was making them antsy. All the while, dawn creeped closer and closer. After what seemed like hours, it exploded, landing exactly where he predicted and a litter of Foot gathered around it, trying to put it out. They were on the roof and headed in when Don came face-to-face with one, who was just as surprised to see him as he was, it. They stood staring for a millisecond before Donnie kicked him backwards, down the stairs. The man groaned, drawing attention from the others. Raphael and Michelangelo worked together and took the men down easily as they fought down two flights of stairs. When they all seemed to be unconscious or running for their Mommies, they found a door to sneak into. It led to a small, dimly lit hall, with only two other rooms. Upon hearing footsteps, Leo only left a sliver of the door open to see who was coming. He began thinking of ways he could take them down, without drawing much attention and evading the cameras. The sound got closer and louder, and he waited for the figure to appear.

Heels.

He was hearing the click of heels.

Before he could properly process what was happening, there she was.

Her eyes dark and concentrated, a soldier at her side, leading her to a door that revealed, upon opening, a control room with many monitors and lights. He gasped as her scar glinted in the flourescent light, and she paused in the doorway. He covered his mouth and waited until the door clicked shut.

"Control room. Ten o' clock. K-" he paused. " _Karai_ , just went in." They snuck into the hallway, when they heard screaming in Japanese. Her voice cut off raggedly as they stood frozen, waiting for Don to tell them where to go. Just as he pointed, the door swung open. They spun around to see her, eyes wide with anger. She unsheathed her weapon, growling, and lunged.

"Cover your ears, guys!" Don shouted and they glanced around to see him toss a home-made flashbang into the air. They knew what that meant, making their way around the corner much quicker than their adversaries, and it went off with a boom that still made their ears ring. Leo glanced back to see her fall to her knees, gripping her head so tight, he thought her ears may bleed. She screeched again, locking eyes with him. Don frantically pointed to a vent, which was surprisingly large enough to fit them. They made their way up and out, seeing no sign of The Foot anywhere on the roof. Well, _conscious_ Foot, anyway. Don typed on his tracking device again, and Leo sighed. The sun was beginning to come up. The morning glow was already settling over New York.

"Don, we have to go. Now!"

"But-"

"Now!" he shouted, and they made their way back down to the street, slipping under the familiar comfort of a manhole cover. They ran and ran through the tunnels, knowing the way to the lair backwards and forwards. From anywhere in the vastness of the city, they could find their way. Even in unfamiliar territory. None of them spoke, though Donnie would have _a lot_ to say when they got back. When they did, Splinter greeted them at the door.

"My sons. I am glad to see you home safe."

"How is he?" Raph asked, immediately. Their father scowled.

"I'm afraid his condition has not changed." The turtles walked to Don's lab, where their friend lay, still unconscious. The others left, giving Don some space. Before they left, he had set up an IV drip and oxygen mask for him, hoping to keep his vitals up. He was happy to see it working. Just as he grabbed Casey's wrist to check his pulse, his eyes burst open.

"Casey?" His wild eyes met Donatello's.

"Don," he croaked. "Wh-"

"Listen, Jones, I'm gonna need you to relax. Everything is alright. Take deep breaths."

"Foot… Losers…"

"I said take it easy. How many fingers am I holding up?" he said, bringing his hand into Casey's line of sight.

"Three," he smirked slightly, before coughing. It hurt his whole body and he winced. The oxygen mask pulled at his swollen face. "My… Face…"

"Don't touch it! It's infected with poison. I'm going to see if I can extract more of it…" He came at Casey with a syringe, then. He flinched away instinctively, but wished he hadn't, as a painful stab in his thigh caused him to lose his breath. "Hold still." Don peeled the bandage on is cheek back. The needle pierced Jones's skin, and with a steady hand, Donatello began to draw some of it out. Just when he was about to pull away, Casey's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he began shaking uncontrollably, spit foaming at the front of his mouth.

"CASEY!" He threw the needle onto a tray nearby, and gently turned him to one side. Raphael appeared in the door. "Raph! Keep him on his side. I need to look at this." His brother stood in shock for a moment before rushing to his friend's side. Donatello gasped under his microscope.

"I need to get that out of his system. Now." When he turned around, he was surprised to see he had stopped seizing, and worried Raph may throw up. He looked pale and sweaty.

"And how do you suppose you're going to do that?" he asked, swallowing hard.

"Like this." Don grabbed a clean needle and stuck it beneath the surface of the skin. He pulled and emptied and re-sterilized until he could see some of the lines disappearing on his chest. His mind raced with possibilities when suddenly, he got an idea. His brother was exiting when he called him back.

"I'm gonna need your help. Hold him down." He sighed, but did as Don asked. He felt around the wound on Casey's cheek, confirming his theory. He quickly grabbed a sterilized scalpel. Carefully, he cut around the side of the wound. His friend cried out, even in his unconscious stupor and Raph held him as Don slowly pushed the mass out from beneath his skin.

" _Jesus_ , Don!"

He concentrated hard and got it into a plastic container. From the looks of it, it was a microbot that had crawled beneath the surface of the skin. He assumed it was the work of Baxter Stockman, but wouldn't be sure until he could study it. He'd need to be fast, because they likely put trackers in them, which could lead The Foot right to their lair. He cleaned and stitched the wound, seeing his color get better by the minute.

He was going to be alright… At least he _hoped_ …

"You _LIAR_!" Karai screeched, landing yet another blow to April's face. This time, the chair she was strapped to fell, and her entire right side made contact with the floor. Her face felt slippery against the concrete as she noted she was very badly bleeding. Karai picked her up, setting the chair upright. " _WHERE ARE THEY_?!" April let out a whimper.

"I. Don't. Know." Blood dribbled down her chin and to her neck when she saw a knife glint in the light. Though someone observing couldn't tell, her face flushed. Would they really not let her just wipe her mouth? April's thoughts delayed as her body was racked with pain. Before she could prepare herself properly, the knife pierced her side, exactly where it had before.

"ANGH!" she cried, her head falling limp. She wished she would pass out. Tears streamed down her face. Karai twisted it, earning another cry from April, then yanked it out.

"How do you explain _this_ , then?!" Karai snapped, and through her good eye, April saw their figures on a tablet screen, defeating Foot soldiers with ease in a stairwell. Her gut twisted at the sight of them. She wanted them to be there so badly. She thought of Donnie and turned away from the light.

"I didn't know…"

"You didn't know _what_?" Karai spat. Literally, spat on April's face.

"That they were… Back… I-" a stinging slap across her face interrupted her statement. Karai put her hand on the back of the chair, leaning in close.

"Tell me."

Her eyes bore ferociously into April's as she waited. She couldn't bring herself to talk as a sickening thought crossed her mind. _You're going to die here._ Her mind reeled as she pictured her family; her sister, Uncle Auggie… Being called to New York to identify her body… Her only friends creeping in the background of her funeral, unable to be seen. She wondered if Casey would even show, when the same knife was shoved into the meat of her thigh. She screamed, feeling her consciousness start to slip away. She quickly assessed her injury, thanking whatever's up there that it had not hit any large arteries. Still, it soaked her jeans pretty fast and she gulped.

" _Where are the turtles, Miss O' Neil?_ " She sobbed, spitting blood onto the ground in front of her, where Karai stood. The _kunoichi_ growled furiously, and April wondered if that moment would be the one that took her life away. Her stomach dropped as she realized she craved it. It scared her more than anything, but she hoped anyway. It would stop the pain, would keep her friends out of the dangerous shadow of The Foot. It would save her from Karai's foul hatred that permeated every pore of the concrete room. That radiated off of her like heat waves. She vaguely remembered feeling an intense pain in her side and a crunching sound before her body went limp in the metal chair.

"I can't believe it," Don muttered to himself, hovering over the magnifying glass. Beneath it, he inspected the innards of the microbot. "They weaponized it. Perfected it."

"What's this about weapons?" a gruff voice asked. Donatello turned to see Raphael slinking in. He stole a glance at Casey, still sound asleep. Raph did, too, sighing as he walked over to the desk.

"The mutagen- er, poison. They somehow made it so that the technology in this bot disperses the perfect amount of poison to make you sick, but not kill you. At least, that's what it seems like. Casey has gotten exponentially better since I took that thing out. I still need him in here and sedated to monitor him. He should be waking up soon…" Raph looked over at Don and for the first time in awhile he saw understanding cross his features.

"I just, uh… Wanted to check on you guys…" The turtle in red glanced at the floor, wishing he hadn't sounded so wimpy.

"Uh, thanks. Yeah, he's doing well. Better than I expected. We almost lost him there… He'll be waking up soon."

"Maybe I'll stop in… After _dinner_ , which you should eat."

Donatello sighed.

"Okay… What's-"

"R-Raph?" Casey groaned, his head flopping to one side, eyes hooded. Donatello jumped out of his chair.

"Hey, Jones," he said, trying to act tough again. Don shook his head. He knew his brother was concerned for their friend, but he wouldn't tell a soul if his life depended on it. _Man, that guy can hold a grudge._

"I'm sorry," Casey whispered. Raph glowered at him, holding his gaze.

"Yeah, well, you shoulda-" He got cut off when Casey's eyes suddenly rolled back into his head and he started seizing again. This time, though Don still saw fear in his eyes, he knew what to do. Holding him on his side, Casey thrashed beneath his hands and Donatello scrambled to figure out why.

"B-but he was getting so much better!" he cried, helping Raph keep him on the cot. Soon, it was over, and he was coming to. He looked around anxiously, eyes darting between the turtles.

"Casey. Hey, everything's alright. You had another seizure. Do you know where you are?" Raph asked. His eyes widened and he gave the room a once over. Don put his hand on Casey's arm, but he flinched away. "Jones… Do you know where you _are_?"

"Who the fuck _are_ you _freaks_?!" he yelled, attempting to scramble away. His injuries stopped him.

"Casey, relax, it's just us. Remember? Donatello and Raph-"

" _KEEP AWAY FROM ME_!" he shouted. " _HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!_ " They heard muffled noises as the rest of their family ran into the room to see what was going on. Casey crawled to the back of the cot, bringing his knees up to his chest, wincing. He scanned the crowd worriedly, mumbling to himself. "This is a dream. You're dreaming. They're not there. You're at home. Calm down. Just… Wake up." He squeezed his eyes shut again and opened them, only to see the giant talking animals were still there. _Are those_ weapons _?! This_ has _to be a dream!_ He jumped up then, but his knees buckled beneath him and a wave of nausea practically made him vomit right there. He felt their cold hands on his arms and he struggled against their grips, but they were like iron. Before he knew it, he was being pinned to the bed, and the last thing he felt was a needle stick his flesh before passing out.

"Donnie, what's going on?! Why doesn't he-"

"I don't know… I think… I think it may be a side effect of the poison. Or maybe the mix of drugs I was giving him… Or both… He must still have it in his system…" Don started setting up what he needed to run some tests, mumbling to himself. The turtles knew that when he got this way, he was not to be messed with. All but Raphael began making their way to the kitchen, where dinner was getting cold.

"You comin', Raphie?" Michelangelo asked.

"Nah, I'm gonna help Donnie. Go ahead."

Leo glanced back, giving him an encouraging smile. When he turned back to his genius brother, he let out a sigh. He needed a break. He needed to eat. The coffee machine on his desk made a low, guttural sound and sputtered to life, filling the pot. Donatello murmured to himself again, taking a syringe and drawing Casey's blood. Raph sat in a chair, staring at his friend. He winced at the thought of his face when he woke up. Not even the first time they met, did he give them that look. _The_ look. It was the same every time. The mixture of confusion and legitimate fear. Not just surprise, but _fear_. Raphael could recall countless times he had saved someone's life, and they still screamed and ran. But never did he expect it from his friend. From family…

"You can go eat, Raph… I don't need any help." Don's voice snapped him out of his stupor.

"If anyone's eatin', it's you. I'll watch him. You can take a break for a few minutes and go eat somethin'. I didn't see you at breakfast _or_ lunch. And that stuff'll give you the shits." He smiled, and Donnie rolled his eyes. _So much for tryin' to lighten the mood_ , he thought.

"C'mon, Raph, you know… Nevermind. I'll eat when I'm done with these tests. You can go, alright?"

"I ain't leavin'. What if he wakes up again? Besides, I know it can get lonely in here. Especially without-"

"I'm fine, Raph!" Don snapped. Raphael blinked in surprise, and leaned back in his chair.

The room fell silent for awhile.

"I'm sorry, Raph… I didn't mean to snap at you like that."

"I understand."

"Still… It was unnecessary." He smiled up at him from his desk.

"We'll get them back." His brother's face fell.

"I hope so…"

" _Night, Mikey!" April said, when he came into the lab to say goodnight. He yawned and waved at them in response._

" _Night, bro," Don said. The lair fell silent as they heard his door click shut and she scowled at him. "What?"_

" _We need to tell them."_

" _What?"_

" _Don't play dumb. You know what I'm talking about." She grabbed his hand with both of hers. "They have the right to know. It's been… Don, it's almost been a_ year _." He flinched. He didn't want to argue tonight. They were supposed to be working on a project together._

" _I just… I think they need more time-"_

" _You mean_ you _need more time?" He grimaced. She let go of his hand._

" _April, I-"_

" _A-are you… Ashamed? Of me?" He dropped his tool, facing her completely._

" _Never. Never in all of eternity would I be ashamed of you."_

" _Then why won't you tell them?! What is so hard about them knowing?!" She was getting louder now, and she almost didn't care. She wanted them to wake up. To hear. Donnie stared, at a loss for words. He couldn't really explain to her why he wished to keep something so important to him secret from his family, but he didn't feel it was the right time._

" _I just… I don't think they'll understand."_

" _What do you mean?" She sounded hurt, and he kicked himself internally._

" _I just… You and Casey were so serious-"_

" _This isn't about him. It's about_ us _." He looked at her and felt so much love. He wished she could just understand… Finally, he spoke._

" _Since I was seven years old, I ruled out even_ meeting _a girl. And I definitely ruled out being in a relationship with one. We all did. Because we knew that people would see us as nothing but monsters… I… Even_ you _fainted when you first saw us… And, I just didn't want… to get my hopes up."_

" _Donnie, how could you-"_

" _I can't give you things that a human partner could. It hurts me to see you give up those opportunities just for me!" She blinked._

" _Donnie, is… Is that what you're worried about? That I'll leave you for a human?"_

" _Saying it out loud, I recognize the stupidity of that statement, but-"_

" _Yeah, you're right. That_ is _stupid. Why would you think that?! Don't you know me at_ all _?!" She got up from her chair, pacing._

" _April-"_

" _No, Don! I can't believe… Almost a year, and you don't trust me?!"_

" _That's not what I said-"_

" _That's_ exactly _what you said!" she was shouting now, and he glanced around her, to the door, where he thought he saw a light turn on. He didn't know what to say. What could he? She was right, he was being stupid… But was it wrong of him to be prepared? He couldn't go out with her. He couldn't buy her dinner. He would never be able to marry her, give her children. He couldn't even have proper_ sex _with her, and while it didn't bother him, he could tell it frustrated her. And he knew that with a human partner, she could have all of those things. All things he_ knew _she wanted. All things that Casey promised her. "I chose_ you _, Don! I could have_ anyone _, and I chose_ you _!" He now stood angrily, too._

" _Why then,_ did _you choose_ me _?!" She stared at him, tears in her eyes. "Why would you pretend to not care about the things I can't give you?! And don't tell me you didn't. I was obviously the wrong choice, but you chose me anyway. WHY?!" Her mouth opened as if she was going to say something, but snapped shut. "Was I just the easiest target? A good rebound?! I mean, you said you could have_ anyone _, right?"_

" _That's not why, and you know it."_

" _Then enlighten me, April!"_

" _I…" He could see her visibly crying now, and his stomach dropped._ Maybe I _was_ just a rebound. _He shook his head and plopped back into his chair, waiting for her to answer._

" _That's what I thought…" He spun back toward his computer, beginning to type._

" _No, Don! You don't just get to walk away-"_

" _It's better than_ this _," he snapped. She gaped at him, fresh tears running down her cheeks. In one swift motion, she grabbed her coat, purse and phone and made her way for the door. She yelped when she slid it open and found Leonardo standing there._

" _Is everything alright in here?" he asked, calmly._

" _Yep! I was just leaving. I have to work tomorrow." Don glanced over and watched her lie for him for the millionth time. Shame creeped and slid through his guts as Leo looked past her, narrowing his eyes at him. "See you later," she said over her shoulder, her voice cracking on the last word._

" _Text me when you get home safe!" Don shouted. He knew she wouldn't. And he'd end up pinging her cell anyway._

" _Would you mind telling me what's going on?" Leo asked, crossing his arms. He was using his I'm-The-Boss-So-You-Better-Start-Talking voice. Donnie sighed._

" _How much of that did you hear?"_

" _All of it."_

April woke in a stupor, pain racking her body, a fog to settling over thoughts. When she finally came to, she realized she was still strapped to the chair. One eye adjusted to the dim lighting. Two Foot soldiers stood on either side of the door. Her mouth felt dry and with every move she made, a new twinge of pain would ricochet through her. She gasped when she tried sitting up, noting her ribs were clearly broken. They hadn't thought to stitch her up this time. She looked over at her side, and stifled a gag. Though it had not broken the skin, a bone protruded. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned to them.

"Let me go," she whispered. "Please." Her lips ached when she talked, and tears stung as they rolled down her swollen cheeks. They laughed quietly at her plea. A walkie talkie crackled and she heard one talk into it.

"She's awake."

"Perfect," Karai said. She could hear her grinning through the device.

It took no time for her to waltz in the room, and April gulped.

"Ms. O'Neil… I hate this just as much as you do. So, let's make it quick. _Where are they_?" She raised an eyebrow, and folded her hands on the table. _At least I'll die doing something honorable_ , she thought. And then she thought of him. Donatello. The last time they fought. How she stormed out of the lair, angry that he was right. It all seemed so trivial now as she looked death in the face. She always thought she would be at home. Or in a hospital. Surrounded by her loved ones. She thought it would be peaceful. That she would welcome it. But it was ugly. It was cold and lonely and she was scared.

"Fine," Karai said. "We'll have it your way." She whispered something in Japanese, and the two soldiers left. When they came back, one had a bucket of water, and the other had a towel. Her stomach dropped.

"No, no, _please_ -"

"Tell me where the turtles are."

April grit her teeth. Of course she knew that she couldn't tell her. _You could_ , said a voice in the back of her head. _You could tell her and it'd all be over._

"No? Okay." Karai snapped her fingers and a man tipped her chair. Her heart thudded in her chest, and she almost laughed. At least she knew it was still working. The other placed the towel over her face and held it there. She heard the bucket hit the floor with a _thunk_. "You have one last chance." April squirmed, but they held a firm grip against her. She felt the cold water on her skin before it hit her lungs. They stung with icy pain and her body coiled from it. The cloth clung to her face with every breath she gasped for. She tried to scream, but her throat stung as more water was poured over her. It soaked her clothes, making her muscles quiver. _This is it_ , she thought. A lump rose in her throat and her chest stung as she desperately clung to memories of happiness. Of finding Uncle Auggie, visiting her sister in the hospital when she had her daughter, the first time she heard Donatello sing… Suddenly, the pressure on her chest was relieved and her lungs filled with air in a painful sting. She coughed and spit water all over her captors, and they jumped back.

"Where. Are. They."

"Please," she gasped, coughing again.

" _Tell me where they are_!"

"NO!"

Karai grinned again, snapping her fingers and repeating her earlier statement in Japanese. April felt the chair tilt back again, the wet towel shielding her eyes from the light. She heard as the bucket was lifted and she braced herself for it, but the splash never came. The chair jolted forward and her heart lept up in her throat when she saw him standing there. Her lungs stopped working again, the ache in her chest growing.

" _Father_?!" Karai gasped.

 _Thanks for following this! Love you guys!_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

"Don! Donnie… You have to see this!" Mikey said, shaking his brother awake. He noted that the genius had slept in the lab once again and sighed. Casey still slept soundly, slightly snoring in the background.

"Hrm?" he questioned, stretching out and wiping drool off of his face. "That's… embarrassing…"

"Donnie, you gotta hurry. Come see this!" The turtle in orange was at the door now, beckoning his brother into the living room area. He followed, sleepily rubbing his eyes and yawned when they made it over. The television blared on a news channel and their family stood around it. Leonardo stared with a concerned scowl, not far from Splinter. Raphael had his arms folded, one hand scratching his chin in deep thought. No one said anything and he looked at his brothers' faces. There was definitely something wrong. He averted his gaze to the reporter, who looked slightly amused.

"A supposed 'UFO' was spotted by the old TCRI building last night at around midnight. The building mysteriously collapsed over four years ago, and has been unoccupied since. Only one person bared witness to last night's landing, and was able to recover _this_ image, from across the street."

What they saw made each of their lungs stop working.

An eerie shock fell over the room.

None of them could take their eyes off of the screen for awhile.

"Is that-"

"Oroku Saki," Splinter finished.

"But, how?!" Leonardo said, spinning to their father. "They _exiled_ him!"

"Hmm," he said, stroking his beard. "I am not sure, my son." They watched as their _Sensei_ quietly sauntered to his room, shutting the sliding door quietly. They glanced at each other worriedly, when they suddenly heard a crash. Immediately they ran to his aid, flinging the door open. Their father was on his hands and knees, his breath heaving in and out. Donatello smelled the unmistakable, coppery scent of blood and rushed over. A tea pot lay broken in front of the rat, a single piece coated in blood on a sharp edge. His hand leaked crimson onto the carpet.

"Master Splinter?" He wrapped his hands around his father's shoulders, taking most of the weight as they got up from the floor. He looked stunned; out of focus. His eyes stared blankly ahead while Don took him to the lab. The brothers huddled close behind him, asking questions and Splinter looked up at him. It wasn't just any look. Behind the fur and the tears of pain, he saw fear. As if he were asking Donnie to save him. "Guys, back off. Give him some space, okay? I think he's going into shock. I'll take him in and patch him up. Just… Check out the news, get some more information." They widened their eyes at him and Leo glared. He knew Leo wanted answers. Wanted to be the one to comfort their father, but Don couldn't allow it. He shut the lab door, locking it behind him, and led their father to a chair.

"Why didn't you tell me your symptoms were getting worse?" he asked, quietly.

"Donatello? What is going on?"

The turtle blinked.

" _Sensei_ , do you not remember what just happened?" His father looked at him curiously.

"I… I do not, my son…" There it was again. The fear.

"You fell… After we found out about… About The Shredder coming back." Don huffed the name quickly, afraid to speak it into existence. Recognition finally crossed his features and he nodded.

"Ah, yes… I went to my room to meditate… I fell?"

"Yes. You cut your hand open." He gestured to the blood-stained bandage on his hand, to the superficial wound that he had already cleaned.

"It should heal soon. Why don't you rest here for awhile? I'd like to take a blood sample, if you're up for it?" His father nodded and he pulled out the second cot. When he went to leave, he felt a clammy hand on his arm. He turned to see his father's eyes fill with tears.

"Thank you, my son." He nodded and smiled, turning away before his face fell. His worst fear was being realized: his father's condition was spiraling faster than he thought, and his brothers still had no idea. He promised Splinter that he would keep it on the down low. Especially from Leo. He had no idea the exact nature of his father's symptoms and needed to do some extensive research before he confirmed his hypothesis. He started showing signs months ago, but he _really_ couldn't tell them now. Not with the possibility of Oroku Saki being back, and the fact that in just a few hours, they would need to be gearing up to rescue April. He cringed at the thought of her… His brain reeled, thinking of what Karai could possibly be putting her through at that moment… What the Shredder could- he shook his head, shooing away visions of her. What he needed to focus on, was getting her back. Getting her back and apologizing for what he'd said. Making it up to her. Telling his family about them. His gut twisted when he thought back to Casey, in his lab now, with no recollection of where he was or who they were. _April will be so heartbroken_.

" _Father_?!"

Immediately, she thought she was seeing ghosts. Was her hatred inducing illusions? Was she seeing things? She staggered back, her legs feeling wobbly. Tears stung her eyes and her lungs gasped for air. He moved, walking into the room, opening his arms.

"My daughter…" She fell into his arms then, sobs escaping into the fabric of his clothing. His arms closed tightly around her. "I have missed you." Suddenly, she felt embarrassed. Wiping her eyes, she stepped away and bowed. He bowed back.

"Father, I thought- I thought I would never see you again."

"As did I. But-" he stopped in his tracks when his eyes drifted to the bloodied and soaking wet woman tied to the chair. He almost didn't recognize her. Karai followed his gaze, and smiled slightly. "I see we have a guest." He strutted to her and she lifted her head with new found rebellion coursing through her veins.

"Shredder…"

"Miss O'Neil. It has been a long time. Might I ask what brings you here?"

" _Fuck_ you."

He struck her with a force that immediately knocked her unconscious.

"Such a mouth on that one."

"Father, you must tell me _everything_. And we must celebrate!"

"A celebration is not necessary. However, I will tell you of my endeavours when I was trapped on that god forsaken planet. Come… Let us walk."

They traveled in silence, and Karai beamed with happiness at the sight of her father. The presence of him near her. It was a miracle to have him returned to her. She ducked her head when she thought of Leonardo- something she was doing more and more often these days -and something he had said that night. _His evil knows no bounds, Karai. He will stop at nothing. The Shredder has no honor!_ She tried to shove the voice in her head away that told her that things were going to change. All that mattered was that Oroku Saki was back. He was with her, and safe. Still, guilt weaved it's way through her guts when she realized what she had started. She was so blinded by hate and anger that she didn't take into account whether her actions were honorable. Whether they followed the bushido code she so tightly clung to. She thought of April. An innocent, trapped in a dark cellar, being tortured. And for what? Because she wanted her family back? _No_ , she thought, angrily. _They deserved this. All of them. They took away family, so_ I _took away family._ But the thoughts wouldn't cease. There was no honor in what she did. In her intentions. She would need to meditate later.

"What troubles you, Karai?"

"Nothing, father. Trivial things."

"It does not seem that way. Is something wrong?" He sounded bitter. As if her feelings were somehow impeding on his arrival.

"Can I be honest with you, father?"

"Of course, daughter."

"What I did… What I _wanted_ to do to April O'Neil… It was dishonourable. Evil. It was below me. And I can't help but feel… Guilty. For wanting revenge from the turtles-"

"Are you saying you _don't_ want vengeance? That my exilation was for _nothing_?"

"No, I was just thinking… You're here now. My anger towards them doesn't need to be acted upon any longer. We can go back to Japan. We can end all of this. Get away from mutants and crime and New York-"

" _Silence_!" She froze. "I will not hear any of this again! They must pay for what they did! For making me suffer all those years on that planet! And I must finally finish my old adversary, Splinter. It _must_ be done, Karai! For honor! When Miss O'Neil wakes up, I myself, will attempt to get her to tell me where those lowly turtles are and I will _end_ them all!"

"Father, I already got a message to them. They will be here by midnight tonight… Or Miss O'Neil will be no more." He stopped to stare at her and his gaze softened.

"Good. We wait, then."

" _Hai_ , Father."

"For clarification… Raph, Mikey, you guys will cause a diversion on the first floor. You'll keep them busy while Donnie and I find where April is being held. In and out. This mission is to get April back. Nothing else." The brothers nodded, and Donnie looked down at his watch for the eleventh time in two minutes.

"My sons," Splinter began. They turned to his worried gaze. "Be safe."

They smiled and climbed into the Battle Shell, carrying weapons and technology of all kinds. He waved them off and got back into the elevator, leading to the lair. He would need to watch over Casey. He would likely be waking up soon, Donatello said, and they couldn't afford to pump him with any more medicine. Splinter would have to explain everything to him, if he woke up without his memory still. He wondered if he could somehow reach him through the spiritual plane, as he did with Leonardo. But, he figured meditation would be no easy task with Casey. _Perhaps the sight of April would help stir his memory_ , he thought. He could hope, right? Not wanting to focus too much on his sons being gone on a dangerous mission, he entered the room where their friend slept. Though their human allies were much older than the turtles, he thought about how young he looked. Especially when he had awaken without the memory of them. He had been so frightened. Now, as he lay on the cot in deep slumber, Splinter's heart reached out to the young man who had been through so much. He selfishly hoped that his sons would come back with no harm done. But he knew better…

"They're in," Donatello whispered to a silent Leonardo, perched on the roof beside him in a concentrated stupor. He nodded once, and crept toward the door. Donatello looked at the device in his hands, re-reading the schematics while his brother silently took out a few unknowing Foot soldiers. When they reached the first door at the bottom of the flight, the turtle in purple motioned that they should move to the right. He hadn't noticed that Leo had also taken out the cameras, until he looked back, remembering that they almost got their shells waxed for his mistake last time. They crept in after they were sure no one was there, and listened into the first door. He would try every door, if he had to. When they picked the lock, and heard it click, they entered to find the room lined with walls of weapons. He shook his head and they exited. They passed the control room in which Karai burst out of in their last excursion, and searched the floor. There was nothing but storage.

"Nothing on the top floor," Leo said to his brothers on the ground floor.

They went down another flight.

Nothing.

And another.

Nothing.

Donatello worried that she wasn't even there, before a thought occurred to him. He put an arm around Leo's plastron when he heard footsteps and they fled into the shadows. The only sound was a scratch of a walkie talkie.

"We need backup! Now! We got two of the turtles on level one! Few left!"

The men ran and the corners of their mouths turned up into half-smiles.

"Leo… If I was an Evil-Ninja-Master-Alien-Imposter, where do you think I'd keep my prisoners?" His brother's eyes narrowed before understanding crossed his features.

"The basement!"

"That's our safest bet. Plus, when I ran a scan of the blueprints of the building, it's entirely made of concrete. Little to no security. No cameras. The floor directly beneath us is level two. One above Raph and Mikey. It's their medical wing. We can rendezvous with them there, after we get April."

"Good idea. Let's get moving, I'll let them know on the way." They crept through the hallway, to a small door, in which a stairwell was located. Leo took out the cameras with shuriken and informed the others of the plan.

"Sounds good, Leo! But, hurry! They just called for more back- _Raph on your six_!" Mikey shouted. Donatello was headed down the stairwell, Leonardo trailing behind him. They shifted in and out of the shadows, taking out soldiers left and right. They heard the familiar sounds of Raphael and Michelangelo fighting when they passed through level one, slipping stealthily into the concrete passageway. The cool air made them shiver, and their muscles tense. After pressing a few buttons, his device lit up and he glanced in each door they passed.

"Don, what does it do?"

"It detects heat. So, if there's a high concentration of it behind one of these doors…"

"... She's likely to be behind it."

He nodded.

Room after room they searched. It seemed like they walked for miles. He was starting to think that she wasn't actually there when he saw a flash of something in his scanner. He went back to the door, and looked closer in it. Someone was in there. But their body heat wasn't normal. It was low, the hottest point of it at their center. They seemed to be sitting. He stood, gaping for a moment, realizing she was in there. It was her. They finally reached her.

"Leo!" he whispered, and rummaged through his bag. The blue banded turtle ran over and scoped the hall out. Using small tools, he jimmied around inside the lock and heard the click. When he pushed the door open, he saw two soldiers barreling at them, mask tails whipping and cries of war filtering through their black masks. He pulled out his bõ staff and jammed it right into one's stomach, startling and knocking the wind out of him. The man scrambled for breath and he whacked him upside the head. The man was dead in an instant.

"I've got this. Donnie, grab April!"

He blinked.

It really was her.

Behind a large metal table, a bloodied woman hung limp against restraints in the chair. If it wasn't for her uniquely red hair, he wouldn't have recognized her.

"Donnie! Now!"

He dropped to his knees by her side and grazed a thumb over her swollen cheek. When he cut the ties on her wrists, she slithered off the chair and into his arms. He gasped when he felt a rib protruding against his hand. _This won't ever happen again. I won't allow it. I promise you._ He pressed his forehead to hers and felt her cool, clammy flesh beneath his.

"Oh, _God_. Leo, we gotta get her outta-"

He was cut off by his leader and brother being thrown against the wall in a cry of pain. When he looked at the doorway, he felt his heart leap into his throat.

"Ah, Donatello. How nice to see you again."

"Shredder!"

Michelangelo was okay with being the muscle of the mission. He wasn't really stealthy enough to aid Donnie in the way that he needed and besides, it's not very often that he and Raph actually get along. Now, a mutual love for knocking the shell out of Foot soldiers? That would bring them together. However, the never-ending onslaught of ninjas was starting to tire him. He could tell Raph was tuckered out as well, because he was starting to get more aggressive and sloppy. Just as he finished his thought, someone started sneaking up behind his brother, a tanto raised behind his head.

"Raph! Behind you!" He spun at the mention of his name and thrusted his strong foot into the man's stomach, simultaneously knocking the weapon from his hand and shoving it through the flesh of his arm, pinning him to the ground. A cry of horror escaped the man and he flailed violently, before going limp against the tile. Mikey took down two more and they met in the middle, scanning the room. All that could be heard were blaring alarms and the groans of agony from their victims on the tile floor. Suddenly, Raph was hit with a brute force in the plastron that sent both he and Mikey sailing into the front desk, shattering the glass. The turtle in orange felt a piece slice the back of his arm and leg, but he stood, ready to fight the Foot Tech Ninja. While they were unable to see them, they were predictable and almost easy, with all the practice they got fighting them. When no one approached, he turned to pull the shard of glass from his calf, only to look up at something sailing toward his face.

"Mikey! _NO_!"

He was knocked onto the ground, into more glass, only to see Raph take his place. A loud _boom_ , and cloud of smoke billowed through the room and he grabbed his brother's arm, his ear slits ringing, making him slightly dizzy. His eyes stung and his throat began to close, but he could feel Raphael staggering, giving up.

"Raph! We gotta go! _C'mon_!" Even his own voice was muted, far away. He could hear the painful rasp of it through the thick air.

They both tripped and the red-masked turtle fell to his hands and knees, searching the floor, clutching the air. His face was that of panic that Michelangelo had never seen before.

"I can't see. Mikey, I _can't see_!"

Leonardo felt the punch before it really registered in his brain. It had come out of nowhere. He almost felt ashamed for not seeing it coming. And as he awoke, the pain of it still reverberated across his skull, so much so, that his eyes wouldn't focus. He made out shapes, blurs of green and purple and silver. Of red. His brain reminded him: _Donatello_. When he looked around again, he saw April, propped against the far wall behind the overturned table, unconscious and barely breathing. Was that a _bone_ sticking out of her side? Never mind that. He had to help his brother. Who was now fighting _The Shredder_ alone. He unsheathed his katana before anything else, gaining his strength back in his arms and legs. He crouched when his eyes adjusted fully and sprung, vaulting himself into the air, his leg striking Oroku Saki unexpectedly in the chest, knocking him over.

"Get April!" He ordered. "Just get her out! I'll hold him off!" The ninja laughed, crouching into a fighting stance and Donnie rushed behind him.

"You think it's _that_ easy? You take me for a fool, _turtle_!"

"Because you _are_ one!" Just then, he pulled a smoke bomb from the leather pocket in his belt and smashed it against the concrete. The metal man recoiled from it, coughing and waving his arms, while Donnie slipped past him, into the hallway, with April on his back. While he was down, he shoved his katana through a chink in his armor. The small, octopus-like alien was revealed, squealing in pain at the blade pinning his tentacle to the wall.

"Do me a favor, and _never_ come after one of ours again," Leo said, before he followed suit and radioed in to his two other brothers.

"Guys! You gotta come to the Battle Shell, _now_! Raph, he's-he's-"

"Mikey what happened?!" he asked, still running behind, making sure that their frail friend didn't fall off of Donnie's carapace.

"They threw some sort of gas… He saw it coming at me, he… He blocked it, and-and he _can't see_! And he- _Raph_! _No!_ " The line cut off when they made it to ground floor.

"Stay with me, April!" The purple-clad turtle said, when she groaned in pain in his ear.

When they rounded the corner, to the van, they saw their brothers engaged in battle once again, with a few more soldiers. Donatello made his way around the opposite end of it, laying and strapping April down, assessing her damage. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment and they locked eyes. The corners of her swollen mouth turned up and she closed them again. He ran a hand over her head, and down to her neck where he checked her pulse. It was weak. Weaker than he expected. They needed to get out of their fast, or she wouldn't make it.

He started the vehicle with more urgency than ever before, and turned back to check on her once again. Her chest rose and fell raggedly, but she was breathing, nonetheless. He cursed himself for ever fighting with her. For not checking on her. She had asked him not to, many times. She could handle herself. She didn't need him worrying. But, he always pinged her cell. Not because he thought of her as weak or because he didn't think she could watch out for herself. He knew for a fact that she was the strongest woman he'd ever had the chance to encounter. But he still tracked her because their enemies were unpredictable and despite the many times they'd defeated them, strong. They were relentless, they had no honor. Of course, the one time he took into account that he may not have to watch over her, this is what happened. They took her and beat her within an inch of her life.

"Guys!" he yelled out the window. "Get in! We have to get a move on, _now_!"

The first was Raph, who had been thrown in by the other two. When he crawled further, he hit his head on the back of April's seat, cursing.

"Talk to me, Raphael!"

The others made it in and he slammed the pedal to the floor with his foot so hard, he thought he may have burned out the transmission. The van hesitated for only a moment before springing forward, out of the alley and onto the dead street.

"I-I saw them throw this thing, this… I dunno and then there was a bang, and… I can't _see_ , bro! It burns! What's happening?! What's-"

"Leo! What does his face look like?"

"Blisters! His-his eyes are red! Donnie, what-"

"Sounds like _metsubushi_. But the blisters are out of character. They must've somehow manufactured it to be acidic. But that doesn't make any sense. Acid is most effective and common in liquid form-"

"DONNIE! Focus! What do I _do_?!"

"Right, right! Is there water? Even just a bottle of it?"

"Found one!" he heard Michelangelo shout.

"Wash his eyes out. Hold his head back and make sure they're open. It's gonna sting. Unfortunately, that's all we can do until I see what happened. From what I'm gathering, it should be temporary. Like blinding powder."

There was no noise for a time, but the shuffling of his family in the back. He glanced back briefly in the rearview mirror at her, her head hung against her chest.

"MIKEY! Mikey, check on April!"

"Oh, God, I didn't even- what did they _do_ to her?!"

"That doesn't matter! Check her pulse!"

"Oh, man, Donnie, it's bad, I can barely- _she's not breathing_!"

"What?! Mikey, try to wake her up! Shake her, do something!"

"ANGH!" Raphael screamed in pain.

 _We're almost home. Five more minutes. Please, please, please_ , he thought.

"Raph, you have to hold still, or I can't-"

"No! No, please, there's gotta be a different way-"

"Hold _still_!"

"Donnie, she's not waking up. I got her to breathe, but…"

He felt relief wash over him when the garage came into view. A loud thump reverberated through the van just as he pulled in. He took his seatbelt off and looked back to see his red-clad brother unconscious on the floor, Leo above him, looking guilty.

"What the _fuck_ , dude?!" Mikey shouted.

"Well, what was I _supposed_ to do?! He wouldn't stop moving-"

"Guys, we have to get them inside, _now_!"

Donatello got out then, taking April from Mikey's arms and running toward the entrance to the lair. Her head rested against his shoulder, and he felt her shallow breath against his neck. Mikey and Leo grabbed Raph by his arms and legs. When the door opened, Splinter was there, waiting for directions.

"My son-"

"Master Splinter, prep Raphael. I need you to examine his eyes, he was hit with some sort of blinding powder. He needs his eyes washed out again. It would be better if he stayed unconscious. It's gonna be painful. You'll also need to treat the blisters on his face."

"Donatello, do you need help with April-"

"NO!" His family paused, their eyes wide. "No, I need to… I need to do this."

They took him away, but Mikey followed him.

"You'll need help, dude. And everyone else is busy."

"I… Mikey, please, just…"

Donnie sighed, but accepted, carrying her into his lab.

"What should we do first?"

"She needs oxygen. And an IV. Can you do that while I inspect her wounds?"

"Of course."

The turtle in purple ran a hand down her cheek before grabbing the trays he had set out earlier and taking equipment from them. He knew that her ribs were the main problem. And he'd have to check her abdomen to see if it was rigid or if there was internal bleeding. When he lifted her shirt, he didn't expect that it would be so bad. Just beneath her protruding rib, bruises covered her skin all the way to the middle of her abdomen. He pressed down on it, feeling around, seeing if there was unusual swelling. She groaned in pain, tossing her head to the side as he felt his finger dip into a warm, wet cut on the opposite side of her. He flinched away.

"Is that-"

"A stab wound? Yes. From the looks of it, she was…" he gulped, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Her side was punctured… Multiple times. In the same spot." He started ordering Mikey around then, as he worked. He was pleased to see that he had hooked her up to the heart monitor he'd constructed when they were sixteen. It wasn't nice to look at, but it was effective. He stripped her of her clothes; something he'd done many times, but never in his life did he expect to do this. The beautiful curves of her body were covered in blood and ugly bruises. Her gorgeous face was swollen; black and blue and bloodied as well. He let his eyes fall over her like he had a million times before, but this time in search of wounds. He noticed a puncture wound in her leg too, and immediately cleaned and stitched. The droning sound of her heartbeat kept him sane as he started working. He wasn't happy about her breath sounds- they were too shallow. And if she couldn't take deep enough breaths, she could develop pneumonia, which in her current state, may kill her. He pumped her with the best painkillers he could. He didn't want her to wake up while he operated. And he'd need to do just that. While he prepped the instruments, he saw Mikey patching up his arm and leg, that had been split open. Blood stained his side, trailing all the way to the floor, and he felt instant guilt for shoving all the focus on April.

"Bro, are you alright?"

"What? Yeah, I'm totally fine. Just some cuts. But they can wait. I don't even feel a thing." He lept up beside the table, ready to work. Donnie eyed his brother skeptically, but handed him a suture kit.

"Uh, okay. If you need a break or something-" he was cut off by the monitor going berserk, alerting them that she was in distress. " _Damnitt_!" He had his brother press the oxygen mask closer to her face- it was designed for turtles, after all -as he gave her CPR. "Come on, April! Stay with me!" He tried not to hurt her further as he counted in his head. Finally, she sputtered and a bit of blood coated the inside of the mask. If he was going to work, he needed to do it fast. "Okay, Mikey. I'm gonna need you to strap her down. Can you do that?"

"Donnie, why-"

"DON'T QUESTION ME, DO AS I SAY!"

He blinked.

"Strap. Her. Down. Make sure she doesn't move too much. I-I have to re-break her rib to set it. She's sedated but not a lot, because I need to monitor her heart rate. She'll probably squirm and maybe even wake up. If she does, it's your job to help me calm her down, alright?"

Mikey nodded, already holding her arms down against the metal table. Donatello placed his hands on her side and took a deep breath, before shoving the butt of his palm into the bulging rib. Her eyes sprung open then, and her chest rose and fell rapidly. A cry of pain escaped her lips and her gaze shifted to him. He saw her face soften and her hand stretched toward him. He saw it and wrapped his own hand around it, squeezing. Just then, her eyes closed again, rolling into the back of her head lazily. Her arm fell limp against the table and he sniffled, cleaning her up and swathing her torso. It was then that he realized that his brother's hand had disappeared. When he looked up, he had a hand placed on his forehead and his eyes closed.

"I don't _feelsagood_ …" he said, his words slurring together. He slumped to the ground, and Donnie ran around the table. On the ground, his brother had fallen with his arm raised; but that was not what made him gasp in horror. Beneath his armpit, a shard of glass jutted out, a steady stream of red flowing from it's entrance point.

"Mikey! Mikey! I NEED SOME HELP IN HERE!" He grabbed some gauze and pressed it against his brother while he waited. _How did you miss it_?!, he asked himself. _Cuts everywhere, blood down his side. He even said he 'didn't feel a thing'. You stupid, stupid turtle! He was in shock and bleeding out this whole time and you didn't even notice._

"Donnie, what-"

"He's bleeding out!" Leo rushed to his side and looked at Donnie questioningly, fear lingering in the underbelly of his gaze. "When they were thrown against the glass, it pierced what looks like his brachial artery."

"And that means…?"

"It's not good. If it wasn't for the difference in our circulatory systems… he would've bled out within minutes." The two heaved their brother onto another cot and got to work.

"He-he was in shock this whole time. He didn't even notice. _God_ , how could I be so _stupid_ -"

"Now isn't the time to freak out, Don. What do we do?"

"We need to close the cut, but… The glass is the only thing keeping the blood at bay. He's lost too much already. From the looks of it, a hematoma has formed, which is blocking the blood from exiting at the rate it normally would."

"What do you mean it's 'normal rate'?"

"If it were flowing correctly it would be squirting out- like you see in the horror movies. But it's good that it's not. We're gonna have to pull the glass out _very_ quickly. Once it's out, we'll have to clean and stitch the wound before giving him a blood transfusion. As long as we do that, we should be able to-"

April's monitor began beeping erratically again, and he ran to her. When he removed the mask from her face, he could see her air supply was cut off. Her face was turning blue and her chest shuddered, working hard.

"April! Breathe! Breathe, _damnitt_!"

He furiously pumped at her chest while Leonardo stood stock still, frozen with fear. It wasn't the first time in his life that the idea of losing those closest to him creeped into his head, but it seemed all too real this time. Mikey's blood on his hands, as he held his wound together. April's broken and battered body shuddering as Donnie jabbed his fists into her chest, counting desperately aloud. Raphael in the other room, screaming as Master Splinter washed the acid out of his eyes. They were slipping through his fingers- all of them. In his stupor, he failed to notice Donnie screaming at him, until he was in his face, blocking his view.

"Leo! Now is not the time to freak out! You need to get the glass out _now_! Do you _hear me_?! NOW! Clean and dress the wound!" He blinked before immediately turning to his youngest brother, yanking the shard out and watching a fresh stream of blood flow from the wound. A wave of nausea trickled through his empty stomach- he hadn't thought to eat before they left. He'd run on less, and eating before something as important as their mission made him sick. Leo remembered a time when he had eaten a biscuit. Just one, before their nightly patrol. They had to stop some Purple Dragons from pummeling this little kid. Raphael got so angry, the brothers had to yank him off this guy. The kid had run- very far, screaming. When he calmed down, they saw the guy's face had caved in in places. It wasn't even a face. It was mush. When he heard the sirens he sprinted ahead of his brothers, long enough for them not to see him vomit all over the rooftop. He never again ate before a mission.

He gulped down the bile and shakily reached for the needle with one hand, while the other held the slippery flesh together.

"April! You need to _fight_. Breathe! Please, just-" his voice stopped in his throat as April coughed raggedly and wheezed as she took in a long breath. He simply watched her chest move for awhile, guilt wafting over him like the smell of coffee in the morning, as he saw fresh bruises forming on her sternum. He looks over at Mikey and notices Leo has disappeared. However, he's hooked up to a transfusion labeled with an orange sticker, and his wounds are patched. He scans the room and sees his older brother scrubbing his hands in the sink, staring blankly ahead.

"Leo?"

No answer.

"Leo-"

" _What_?!"

Donatello blinked.

"Nevermind, just… Thank you."

He walked away to check on April and saw that her heart rate was stable for the time being, and her breath sounds were norm-

The machine went crazy again and he saw her throat work as she struggled for breath once again.

"No! No, you're not gonna do this!" he shouted. He picked up a flashlight and shone it into her mouth, where he could see the swell of red cutting off her air. It disgusted him to no end at what he was about to do. He'd seen it done, watched videos, tutorials on how it works, read in medical books. But only that.

It had to be done.

Or April- _his_ April, _their_ April -would die right there on the table. She would suffocate before him. With the instrument needed, he pried her mouth open, Leo watching in horror as he stuck the oxygen tube down her throat. With steady hands, he shifted it into the proper position, watching as the color drained from her face and her breathing steadied. He listened to the monitor, hearing her heart drone on. With medical tape, he stuck it to her cheek where she would have the most airflow. Just like in the movies, her dry lips were spread too far to one side as her face sagged over the rest of the equipment attached to her face. If she was lucky, she'd make it through the night. If she had a fever, that meant infection, which meant-

"Donnie."

He looked up tiredly at his brother, whose eyes were wide with fear.

"Raph. We need to check on Raph."

Donatello nodded.

"You stay here," he said, hearing the weight of his voice. "Alert me if anything- I mean _anything_ changes with either of them. Got it?"

"Yeah." Normally, Leo didn't take too kindly to getting ordered around. It was his job, it always had been. But he had to swallow his pride and admit that when it came to medicine, he had little knowledge. Donnie'd spent almost his entire life studying it. And so, he listened.

"Raphael is resting," Splinter said as he felt his brilliant son enter the dojo. His entire adult life- what he can remember of it -he's studied his sons. Their heartbeats, the way they breathe, the feelings they emit. He wouldn't go so far as to say that he could read auras or something of that nature, but he'd grown accustomed to associating certain things with them. The air shifted differently in the presence of each of them. They were unique beyond their forms.

"As he should be. But I need to check his eyes. I need to make sure there's no damage."

The rat sighed. Donatello had an uncanny ability to ignore his own problems and focus on everyone else's. It was both a respectable attribute, and a downfall. He laid a hand on his son's shoulder when he approached Raphael. He flinched away instinctively, his shoulders slumping as he realized what he'd done.

"I'm sorry, _sensei_."

A mere look reassured him and he let the corners of his mouth twitch up before grabbing the nearest flashlight and peeling Raphael's swollen and blistered right eye open. He sighed with relief and went to the next- the one causing the most concern. It looked as if it had taken the brunt of the blast. More swollen and bruised beneath the singed flesh. He thanked the universe that his hot-tempered brother wasn't awake for this. After pulling the other lids apart and shining the light into it, his face settled into a scowl. He did it once again, the creases in his face deepening. Splinter knew the look. Despite the many ways that his son was a ninja, he was too. He'd taught him after all. And he attempted to hide the look- one of fear and worry.

"Donatello, what is it?"

"His pupil isn't reacting." He sighs and runs a hand over his face, staring at his sleeping brother. "I hate to do this, but… I need to wake him up. It would be better to assess what's wrong with it. See if he can follow something." Splinter nodded and laid a hand on Raphael. Gently, he shook, and his eyes opened. As far as they could, anyway. The right spun around in different patterns, while the left barely moved.

"Raph. Can you do something for me? Can you follow my finger with your eyes? That's all I need. Then you can get some more rest. Would you mind?" He nodded, and just as Donnie expected, the left eye didn't move. It didn't react.

"Why… Can't I… My left eye-"

"It's swollen bad, Raph. It's… gonna be okay. Just go back to sleep."

He was lightly snoring almost immediately.

Donnie's mind reeled from possibilities for the hundredth time that night, and his concentrated stare didn't stop his father from scolding him.

"You should not have lied, Donatello."

He blinked. He didn't have time. Not now.

"It's better this way. He doesn't need to worry right now. He needs rest."

"He will be angry-"

"That's fine. He can be mad at me. But I have to make sure it's-" he cuts himself off, knowing how much his father hated his pessimistic side.

"Donatello, please tell me."

"I-I need to see if his eye is… salvageable. I may have to-to _take it out_." Saying the words aloud sent a shiver down his spine and he saw the hair on his father's neck stand up. He's about to say something more- to reassure Splinter that everything was okay, when Leo burst through the door.

"Donnie! April!"

He was out of the room in seconds. It took all of five of them for him to be across the lair and into his lab. Her heart monitor was beeping hysterically, piercing any peace that had started to settle over the lair. He rushed to her side to see the source but as his eyes darted around her figure, he found nothing. It wasn't until he saw her arm quiver that he looked up to her face, meeting her eyes. He shuddered at the pure agony in her gaze as she resisted the intubation.

"April, _April_. Shh, shh. It's okay. I know you're in pain, but you have to listen." Her brow twisted up in confusion and he ran a hand over her wet hair. He brought his forehead to hers, and heard her pulse slow every-so-slightly. "Everything's fine. You're safe. You're _home_." He looked into her eyes again and she thrashed beneath him, but he held her tight with his forearm, pumping more anesthetic into the syringe. She cried and struggled against the tube and her throat bobbed with each sob. Donnie watched as her eyelids fluttered and her breathing slowed and tears gathered at the edges of his eyes. He stroked her hair again, planting a kiss on her forehead. When he pulled away, he sensed someone in the room, and turned. Leo stood in the doorway, holding his left arm with the right, a hint of a smile lighting up his face.

"How is she?" he asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"She woke up. And she was resisting the tube, so I had to…"

Across the room, Mikey groaned. Leo stalked over to him, grabbing his hand and murmuring something. Donnie changed the blood bag, thankful that he'd had the idea to collect it so long ago. He'd studied it, and it's unique qualities separated it from human blood. He'd had the idea to steal some. Just from a blood bank. Of course, Leo shut it down, as well as _sensei_ , so he had to think up something… So _April_ stole it. It wasn't his best moment, he'd admitted that when Splinter made him do ten extra katas that morning (and took away all electronics) but it helped him work on his latest project- finding out that they were not compatible with humans. And after the first attack from The Shredder, he'd made it a point to make sure he had whatever they needed in the event that something like that- or worse -happened again. He collected Casey and April's, too. Being their friends made them a target. Not to mention the whole vigilante deal. They might as well have had bounties on their heads. Though he was thankful for them (they had, in many ways, saved their shells, be it in battle or not), he couldn't help but point out how improbable it was that they'd ever live normal lives again. Or how incredibly _dumb_ it was of them to be friends. The turtles did nothing but put them in danger. They'd argued over and over that it was their choice; they _wanted_ to be friends with them. They said they were worth it.

 _Worth this_? he thought.

The pain in Mikey's side woke him up. His internal clock guessed it was the early hours of the morning; maybe five or six o'clock. His head pounded in time with his heart and a coppery smell filled his nose. He slowly peeled his eyes open and let them adjust to the dim lighting, seeing tiny green lights flashing in the distance. Putting in the effort to talk was too much, and so he decided to shift, which was a mistake. He sucked in a breath through his teeth when the stitches on his side strained and the needle in his opposite arm pulled. He heard something and froze, his ears working overtime. It was Donnie.

"April… You have to make it through this. We need you. Casey needs you. _I_ need you… I-I promise I'll tell them."

There was no answer.

Mikey's ears perked up again.

" _God_ , how could I have been so _stupid_? I'm so sorry. This wouldn't have happened if… if…"

Was he crying?

"April. _Please_. Come back to me."

Mikey recalled Splinter saying that when Leonardo wouldn't wake up, on that awful day years ago, that he had endured more than physical wounds- that his soul was shattered as well. He wondered what April had suffered through at Karai's hands and he shuddered. Again, a mistake. He yelped in pain as his stitches pulled on his flesh.

"Mikey?"

There was movement. When he looked up, Donatello hovered above him with a concerned gaze.

"Mikey? You're awake?"

"Yeah, bro… My side-"

"Don't move! You'll tear them." Donnie then began his routine, checking the monitors, his pulse, his temperature. He tried not to roll his eyes. There was no doubt that he hadn't slept since they got back from Foot Headquarters. He probably still hadn't dressed his own wounds. Suddenly, the night all came back to him at once; April not breathing, Leo's shoulder, the smoke bomb-

"Donnie," he croaked, grabbing his arm. The brother turned around.

"Yeah?"

"Raph. His eyes…"

He felt his muscles tense and flinch away, and he knew it wasn't good.

 _Thank you guys so much for reading! Any suggestions/comments are welcome!_


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